


The White Forest Inn

by Cake



Category: Half-Life
Genre: F/M, Pre-Het, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 06:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cake/pseuds/Cake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gordon and Alyx takes five minuttes to breath after the White Forest Inn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The White Forest Inn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [squeequeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/squeequeg/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Side Effects May Include Distraction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/81668) by [squeequeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/squeequeg/pseuds/squeequeg). 



> I was assigned as your Yuletide author, and managed to forget all about the deadline! Silly me. But here is a treat. I thought of it as a continuation of your story Side Effects May Include Distraction, which I adore. 
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful Yuletide and a happy new year.

Gordon is patching up his left elbow and upper arm. The content of a gutted health kit has exploded onto the grass between them, gauze and tubes of sealant strewn around. He has stripped off the glows of his HEV suit, the white skin of his hands pale and surprisingly clean against the stained, worn orange. 

Finishing up on her last scrape, Alyx falls back on the grass. She got out easy. They both did. No major wounds, all limbs present and accounted for.

"What a workout".

He hums noncommitaly. 

The quiet rustling of the grass and distant trees feels the warm air again. The afternoon sky is very blue above her. The sound of a fire in one of the buildings on the top of the hill can still be heard. It is dying down, and they are facing the light breeze, the abandoned buildings at their back, so the smell of the smoke doesn't reach them. 

She get's to her feet slowly. 

"I'm gonna see what's left of the rations. Are you hungry? I could eat a antlion".

She stretches, her hands over her head, briefly stopping to go up on her toes to stretch out her spine. When she returns from the Junker with one of the rations pack he is watching her, gauss forgotten in his hand. 

She drops down on the grass next to him and give him a smile. He continues to patch him self up, his face unreadable. 

"Let's see what we got." She puts a bottle of filtered water beside her. 

The rations are nothing exciting, the usual dried stuff that is some sort of meat. Some vegetable concoction in a sealed bag. She cuts off a corner with her knife, and squeezes the content out of the pack right in to her mouth. Some supplements in tablet form. Some salt crackers. It's all good for her she's sure, the Combine makes sure to keep their machines in enough fuel to keep them going. 

The share the packs between them, eating slowly in the afternoon sun. Gordon seems to be even more quiet than usual. 

"We got out of that all right didn't we? Hardly a scrape on either of us. Good team work. Man, I am wiped. It's a good thing we're driving."

She puts her hands in the small of her back, twisting a little and making her spine creak.

He hums, mouth full of something labeled Pilot Bread on the packet, though she knows for a fact these rations came from a raid at a small base of ground troops outside of City 9. 

Up on the hill behind them something falls down in one of the shot out buildings. Some birds are singing in a stand of trees.

They finish up, gathering the empty wrappers and plastic. 

"Come on", she says, starting to get up. "Let's get going. Off to White Forest with us. The revolution waits for no scientist."

He grabs her hand, stopping her from getting up. He is staring intently at her.

"Are you sure you are ok?"

His voice is rough, like the smoke is still in the air. He looks worried. She draws a breath, looking down at his hand. 

"Yeah".

She turns her hand in his, holding it, palm to palm. She squeezes lightly with her fingers. 

"Yeah, Gordon, I'm ok."

She keeps her grip on him, helping him up after her. He doesn't let go of her hand.


End file.
